# Tell me about Ruth's Chris Steak House **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 4, 2011, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674 "2011-05-04T09:25:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674/61 "2011-05-05T06:53:40Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Restaurants nowadays tend to go redder rather than more done. A medium is more likely to be pink in the middle and medium rare is more likely to be red. Rare is often barely warm in the middle. Also if a patron complains that his steak is undercooked the chef can return it to the grill (or whatever it’s cooked on) and bring it up the desired level of doneness. If he complains it’s overcooked then the steak get’s thrown out and the restaurant eats the cost. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674/62 "2011-05-05T08:00:05Z")
Do any national steak places prepare them using the _sous vide_ method? I’ve been reading about it, and would love to experience the difference in flavor with a nice, thick medium rare Ribeye. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674/63 "2011-05-05T08:32:58Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > As a Canadian who occasionally patronizes Ruth’s Chris, I’ll point out that the Canadian Ruth’s Chris provides USDA American-grown beef. In a weird way, this is like shipping coals to Newcastle, as we raise wonderful beef here–Alberta beef is often regarded as the best available in Canada, and is offered in steakhouses coast-to-coast. But apparently, even the Albertan Ruth’s Chris must import their beef from the US; and perhaps appropriately, patrons have to pay for the privilege of eating imported beef in a place that raises plenty of its own. As I recall, there is a local (Albertan) beef option available on Ruth`s Chris`Canadian menus, at much lower cost. At least in the Alberta Ruth’s Chris I went to, the menu has a choice of USDA beef or Alberta beef. There wasn’t much difference in price as I recall. I was in a steak house in Florida and they made a big deal of advertising that they used “Genuine Alberta Beef”. So it’s kind of amusing that Ruth’s Chris in Alberta has USDA beef. It would be crazy if they didn’t offer an Alberta option. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674/64 "2011-05-05T13:49:52Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > Spending $150 somehow buys your way into free jerk time? > > Go back and read your big Mac comment and then get indignant. Dude, really? If you are rich and can throw lots of money at a meal that they keep messing up, then fine. You don;t have to complain. But if they mess up 3 of his items, then they failed big time. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674/65 "2011-05-05T14:26:20Z")
These high-end steakhouses must be insanely profitable-you do not need a master chef to cook steaks. Also, the sides are pretty basic-steamed broccoli? I do agree that most of the portions are enogh for two-at the capital Grill, the baked potatoes are enormous. Basically, these places are high-end McDonalds type operations-admittedly with superior quality meat, and nice decor. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674/66 "2011-05-05T14:29:15Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Basically, these places are high-end McDonalds type operations-admittedly with superior quality meat, and nice decor. Are you saying that all of their stuff is pre-cooked, frozen and nuked? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674/67 "2011-05-05T14:51:42Z")
> [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](#): > > Dude, really? If you are rich and can throw lots of money at a meal that they keep messing up, then fine. You don;t have to complain. But if they mess up 3 of his items, then they failed big time. You can complain without making an ass of oneself. I have had to correct wrong dishes before. I have always found that a polite “Excuse me, I asked for X, could you please take this Y and bring me X” works just fine. But then again I have worked in food service and understand frazzled new waitstaff, and kitchen screwups. I have very rarely run into something done maliciously or deliberately. ---
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674/68 "2011-05-05T14:58:19Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > It’s enough for 2-3 people. When I got it, it was one large stalk not cut at all, not particularly well seasoned and tough from not being cooked long enough. I was flabbergasted that they had the nerve to charge so much for it. ---
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674/69 "2011-05-05T14:59:34Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > These high-end steakhouses must be insanely profitable-you do not need a master chef to cook steaks. Also, the sides are pretty basic-steamed broccoli? > I do agree that most of the portions are enogh for two-at the capital Grill, the baked potatoes are enormous. > Basically, these places are high-end McDonalds type operations-admittedly with superior quality meat, and nice decor. That is one of the dumbest things I have ever seen posted on this site. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674/70 "2011-05-05T15:25:02Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > It’s enough for 2-3 people. Still, $15 for broccoli is a repulsive amount of markup. I just bought 3 pounds of broccoli florets (so prep was involved) for $4.99. To serve a stalk of broccoli, with the tough stem, just plainly steamed, and charge $15 for it takes cojones the size of Texas. But people lap this stuff up because they’re told that they’re getting a prime dining experience. As my mother says, catch a fool, bump its head. > [@sh1bu1](#): > > That is one of the dumbest things I have ever seen posted on this site. It’s basically true. The difference between fine dining and a tasty meal at a chain restaurant is astronomical. When you’re ordering something that’s on a menu at 100+ locations internationally, where it’s to be cooked and presented the same way, and is available year round regardless of seasonality you’re not eating the best available food. There is no creativity from the chef. There is no enjoyment of fruits and vegetables selected by a food-knowledgeable person that morning at the green wholesaler because they’re at the height of their season and ripeness and looked and smelled amazing and would be the centerpiece of a new dish. There’s no flair involved in making baked potatoes or steamed vegetables. There’s not even a flair in making Hollandaise sauce, once you learn how to do it properly. It’s not McDonald’s but it has exactly the same level of originality and innovation. Just as you can get a Quarter Pounder in Seattle or Miami and it’ll taste the same, a Ruth’s Chris steak in Philadelphia or Phoenix will too. And if you’re going to spend $50 or more on a meal, why not find a nice _local_ establishment, with a real chef (not just cooks) and a menu that isn’t preprinted and shipped in from Kansas, and eat something truly memorable for its taste and originality, not just because it’s a hunk of broccoli on a plate that can feed three people or a steak served on a superhot platter (that will burn you and keeps cooking the meat after its been taken off the grill, beyond the control of the cook)? ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674/71 "2011-05-05T16:16:19Z")
Not to hijack about the service, but if you’re paying a 20% tip on a $150-200 bill, that’s $30-40. For $40, my server should be checking my order is correct before bringing it to the table. True, one can be more or less jerkish about pointing out errors. But by the second kitchen mistake, the server should’ve been extra alert, and whoever was expediting in the kitchen should’ve been made aware, too. StG ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674/72 "2011-05-05T16:49:32Z")
I usually go there twice a year–once for my mom’s birthday (I pay) and once for my birthday (she pays). I went last year an extra time because my best friend was visiting from Alaska, and I thought he’d like it. They have something called Ruth’s Seasonal Classics which are about $40, that include an appetizer, an entree, a side, and a dessert. I don’t know if all of the locations have them, or if the price is always the same, but you can find them [here](http://www.ruthschris.com/Menu/Seasonal-Classics). When I go, I like the ribeye; the one that I go to offers it for $10 extra. I like it. It’s expensiveish, but reasonably expensiveish, close, and has good steak. I also really, really love their banana cream pie and their creamed spinach. Yum. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674/73 "2011-05-05T16:57:39Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Restaurants nowadays tend to go redder rather than more done. A medium is more likely to be pink in the middle and medium rare is more likely to be red. Rare is often barely warm in the middle. I just wish more restaurants would do this with hamburgers, too. If I order a “medium rare” hamburger, I find that maybe 20% of the time I get what I ordered. The vast majority of the time, I get something closer to medium well. Makes me crabby, it does. > [@sh1bu1](#): > > That is one of the dumbest things I have ever seen posted on this site. I half-agree with his statement, though. Cooking a steak correctly isn’t rocket science. Yes, it’s a skill like any other, but it’s not that difficult to learn. However, I’m not sure about “insanely profitable” necessarily just based on what it costs me to get a high quality piece of meat. About once a year (for my birthday), I splurge on a nice 30-day dry-aged prime ribeye. Depending on where I buy it, it’s around $40/lb. At those prices, I might as well go to a high-end steakhouse, but I enjoy preparing the meat myself. Obviously, the steakhouses get their meat for significantly cheaper (I would think), but I don’t think they’re cash cows based on the food profits. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674/74 "2011-05-05T17:05:51Z")
I have no problem with you sending food back until it’s done to your satisfaction but the way you described your encounter makes you sound like an asshole. That’s all I’m saying. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674/75 "2011-05-05T17:38:04Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I don’t think they’re cash cows. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674/76 "2011-05-05T18:01:50Z")
Been to several RC’s and two Morton’s, and for my money, RC has been better. The coffee-marinated fillet is divine. I third (or fourth or fifth) the suggestion to try your steak rarer than you usually order it. I like fillet mignon, but ribeye has a stronger, beefier taste. It does have fat, though, so if you like leaner, get the fillet. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674/77 "2011-05-05T21:00:30Z")
Everyone keeps answering his “Attire - should I be wearing a jacket and tie, or will I be fine as long as I don’t show up in my torn jeans and Motorhead t-shirt?” question with some variation on “yes, dress up, your mom will like it” but could someone instead answer the question based on the restaurant? Does the place require jacket and tie or have a dress code of some sort? ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674/78 "2011-05-05T21:23:05Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Everyone keeps answering his “Attire - should I be wearing a jacket and tie, or will I be fine as long as I don’t show up in my torn jeans and Motorhead t-shirt?” question with some variation on “yes, dress up, your mom will like it” but could someone instead answer the question based on the restaurant? Does the place require jacket and tie or have a dress code of some sort? No dress code. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674/79 "2011-05-05T21:39:42Z")
> [@Cub\_Mistress](#): > > My friend in Seattle seconds **MsWhatsit’s** suggestion of the[Metropolitan Grill](http://www.themetropolitangrill.com/food.cfm) It’s a similar price point and she assures me the food is second to none. A hearty second to the Metropolitan. We go every year for a joint family birthday celebration - one year we skipped the MG and went to Ruth’s Cris - never again. It is expensive and sides are extra, but the steak cannot be beat - and yes, go for medium or medium rare. We generally end up a $100+ per person, which includes wine, sides and tips. Valet parking is worth it too. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674/80 "2011-05-06T23:34:52Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > No dress code. Thank you! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-ruths-chris-steak-house/580674.md?page=5)